Wichita eagle., 1887-12-22
TERRIFIC EXPLOSION.
An Explosion of Naptha in a Sewer IN
Rochester Does Great Damage.

ROCHESTER, n. Y, Dec. 2l.-ShOrtly be-
fore half past 3 o'clock this afternoon
terrific explosion occurred in front of the
Pool -four mill, on Mill street, at the foot
of Factory street. The explosion was felt
for long distance. Only a few seconds
after the first explosion another followed,
and another and another in rapid success
sion Instantly flames burst from
the Pool mill, and the rear walls
fell in The fire burned with great fury
and although the workmen FASTENED to
get out, it is feared some must have per
ished in the flames. 1t was only a few
minutes before the Washington mill, adj
joining the burning structure, was also
on fire and thence the flames commune
Gated to other buildings, One of the work
men jumped from the third story of the
Pool mill and is seriously injured. An
other escaped by jumping into the race.
The cause of the explosion was that
the sewers in the vicinity We're
filled with naptha. To-day 14.00O
gallons of naptha were pumped
from the Vacuum oil works through
the pipe line in the bed OF the old
canal 1t was intended for the Municipal
Gas company, but one or more breaks in
the line allowed the naptha to escape into
the adjoining sewers When the sewers
became charged with the gas, it escaped
into the mills and exploded there and else
where, and the fire made its way through
the mains in the middle of the streets,
throwing out the manhole covers and tear
ing up the roadways. In the vicinity of
the fire and up Mill and State streets, as
far as Market street, a distance of about
three-quarters of mile, people were run
ming in every direction, and frequent eX
blossoms terrified them the more. 1t is
not known how many persons were
at work or how many escaped. One man
jumped from second story window OF
one of the buildings to the river bank be
low, distance of fifty feet. His right leg
was broken and he received severe inter
nal injuries. The walls of the Jefferson
mill fell in about t o'clock and it is
feared there are several men buried under
them. The engineer OF the Clinton mill
and two companions We're standing near
the front of the mill when the explosion
occurred. They retained sufficient pres
ence of mind to shut off the steam and get
out of the mill. There wers six persons at
work in the Clinton mill, four of whom
escaped through the water wheel At the
time of writing (l1:30 p. NJ the fire is I'M
der control. The explosions ceased about
6:30 and no more danger is apprehended
from them. The explosions covered a wide
extent of territory Many poles over the
sewers on Mill, Platt, State, West, IRE
mont, Smith Jay. Furnace. Factory,
Brown, and many other streets were blown
off by the force of the explosions, and a
great deal of the paving around them was
torn up. Windows Were shattered III many
of the buildings in the vicinity and the
shock was felt over a large area. The tun
mel through which the burning naptha
flowed for several hours is the largest
sewer in the city, and is the outlet for
the sewers on the west side. How badly
damaged this is cannot be estimated. The
fire must have extended a distance of sew
eral hundred feet in the sewer The killed
so far as now known, are: Fred Wilson
and +. A. Webster, John Lee. an employe
at the Peoples mill has not been accounted
for, and it is thought that he is dead in the
ruins
The aggregate damage is hard to esti-
mate. The following individual losses
are known: Washington mill and contents
and contents, $4,000, insurance So, 900;
Clinton mill and contents $4,000, insur-
ance $4,000. At this writing mid
night it - is believed that four
perions are killed These are Fred
erick Wilson, Howard \. Webster
Abram Rogers and John Lee. The last
named Is missing and is supposed was
burned to death in the Clinton mill.
Rogers was mill-wright and was injured
by falling walls He was taken home and
died tonight. Young Wilson was part
owner in the Shawmut mills. and was
killed by flying stone Edward A Web
ster was looking at a man-hole from which
the explosions were coming when the ex-
plosion in the jefferson mill happened.
burying him in the falling walls He was
picked up with leg. and an arm broken
and internal injuries. He was taken to the
city hospital where he died this evening
The injured Will number at least twenty
Most of them are bruised and cut by